Automobile headlight construction



April 8, 1924. 1,490,054

O. D. WILLIS AUTOMOBILE HEADLIGHT CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 29. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IIVI/ENTOR WITNESSES? o WIzzrs W aux/M A TTORNEYS Patented Apr. 8, 1924. I

TTES PATENT.

OSCAR DELLMONT WILLIS, OF HUNTINGTON, WEST VIRGINIA.

AUTOIVLOBILE HEADLIGl-IT CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed August 29, 1923. Serial No. 659,980.

To all whom it may concern: horizontally disposed across the front of Be it known that I, ()soAR D. WILLIS, a the reflector and rigidly connected thereto citizen of the United States, and a resident to move therewith. On the rear of the reof Huntington, in the county of Cabell and flector is mounted a rack bar 6 with a pin- State of West Virginia, have invented a ion 7 mounted on a shaft 8. This shaft new and Improved Automobile Headlight also carries a gear 9 meshing with a worm Construction, of which the following is a gear 10 on the shaft of a motor 11, this full, clear, and exact description. motor beingdisposed within the casing 1. v

This invention relates to an automobile The motor is connected by a suitable wire 65 headlight construction, and has for an obor cable 12' to a switch on the steering ject the provision of a headlight part of wheel of an automobile. In the back of which can be tilted so that in approaching the reflector is mounted a shell 13 within other cars the light from the lamp can be which a lam socket 14 is slidably mounted. deflected downwardly on the road in front This socket supports a lamp 15 projecting 15 f th ar, within the reflector in the usual manner. Another object concerns the provision of The shell 13 is provided with slots 16 and means whereby this operation can be efthrough these slots pins 17 extend from the fected merely by the manipulation of a lamp socket.- These pins are engaged by switch on the steering wheel of an automobrackets 18 dependent from a bar 19. 75 20 bile. This bar is hinged to the back of the re- A. further object concerns the provision flector casing at one end and pivotally conof means whereby the automatic movement nected to the lower end'of a lever or rockof a. part of the headlight to deflect the ing arm 20 at the other end. This pivot light downwardly will also put into operaconnection is effected by the projection of a 80 tion mechanism whereby the focus of the pin 21 on the bar 19-into a slot 22 on the lamp in the reflector will be changed. rocking arm or lever 20. A spring 23 tends A still further object concerns the proto oppose the upward movement of the vision of a structure whereby the apparatus bar 19. is simple and rugged and liable only to a The forward movement of the reflector 85 minimum extent to get out of repair and casing within the lamp housing 1 to the require adjustment. dotted position shown in Fig. 1, is limited The invention is illustrated in the drawby the engagement with the front edge of ings, of whichthe reflector on either side thereof, by spring Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal secmembers 24 mounted on suitable bracket 90 as tion through the headlight; plates 25 in the sides of the housing 1. The

Fig. 2 is a detail section through the part rocking arm 20 is hinged to the lamp housof the reflector containing the bulb and mg 1. lamp socket, showing the manner in which In the operation of the device, when any the bulb is mounted in the reflector; suitable switch convenient to the hand of 95 Fig. 3': is a section taken on the line the driver is operated, the motor will be 3-3 of Fig. 1; and energized to move in a given direction. As-

Fig 4 is a rear elevation of the two headsuming the parts in the position shown in lights. Fig. 1, the movement of the motor in the The form of the invention shown in the proper direction will tilt the reflector for- 1 0 drawings is a preferred form, although it Ward. As this forward movement takes is understood that modifications in the con place, the lever system, including the bar 19, struction and arrangement of the parts and the rocking arm 20 and the brackets 18 will in the character of the materials used may change their relative positions to the posibe adopted without departing from the tions shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 by rea- 1 5o spirit of the invention. son of their pivotal connection and in so do- The invention illustrated in the drawings ing the relation of the bracket members to includes a headlight casing 1 having a rear the shell 13 will be changed so as to cause plate 2 and a front transparent plate 3, the lamp bulb 26 to be moved forward some- Vithin the casing a reflector 4: is pivotally what out of focus with respect to the re- 11 mounted. The front of this reflector is open flector 4; so that the light thrown downand therein is mounted a series of faces 5 Wardly on the road will be a more or 16 the position of the lever system that its engage ment' with the lamp socket will move the lamp in proportion to themovement of the reflector.

It will be noticed from Fig. 4 that the shaft 8 can extend across between the two headli'glits and is preferably enclosed with in a tubularniember 27along that part of the shaft "which lies outside of the casing I and extends therebetween. I

' 1. A headlight construction which inchides a pivoted reflectortherein', a rack bar on said reflector, a motor connected "to 0perate s'aid rack bar and tilt the reflector, a lever arm hinged to said reflector, a rocking arm hingedto said casing and having a slot therein, a pin on said first-mentioned lever slidable in said slot, a shell in said reflector having slots therein, a lamp socket slidable in said shell, pins on said socket extending through said slots, and .a bracket member from the first-mentioned lever engageable with said pin whereby movement of the reflectorwill alter the position of the levers and the bracket member to vary the position of the lamp socket with respect to the reflector.

2'. A headlight construction which inchidesa pivoted reflector therein, a rack bar on said reflector, amotor connected to operate said rack bar and tilt the reflector, a lever arm hinged to said reflector, a rocking arm hinged to said casing and having a slot therein, a pin on said first-mentioned lever 'slidable in said slot, ashell in said reflector having slots therein, a lamp socket shdable in said shell, 131118 on said socket ex- -tending through said slots, a bracket member from the first-mentioned lever engageable with said pin whereby the movement of .thereflector will alter the position of the levers and the bracket member to vary the position of the lamp-socket with respect to thereflector, and a spring mounted on-sald reflector in engagement with the first-mentioned lever to oppose its movement from the normal position. i i I OSCAR DELLMONT WILLIS. 

